Here's what went on in November...
11-01-00
::sigh:: I just got back from the dress rehearsal. And I'm scared. Scared in bad ways...and good actually. The bad way is that tonight was the only dress rehearsal in the entire history of the Wind Ensemble that we had to "rehearse" rather than "dress rehearse". The night started out terribily...the horns took a little too much time practicing coming in together and being in tune, and Mr. E and the rest of the WE was not too happy. Things improved slightly over time, and Russell and Liz Burr showed up to listen, and I think maybe Greg was standing in the back too. I have no clue how the concert will turn out...or "tune" out I should say...I think that's our worst problem. Which reminds me...A few days ago I was chatting with Tiff while filling the vending machine about my "horrendous" piccolo playing and how I was out of tune, and Tiff goes - "Who cares?" I almost smacked her!! >;) Speaking of tuning, Jeff and Conor FINALLY have their mutes...along with the two euphonium players. And they are SO out of tune, they have to play every note a half step lower! Oh and another thing, we ARE going to play Courtly Dances, but I really don't think we'll be playing all the movements to it. Well, I got to go get some sleep now....
11-02-00
Hmm. It turned out better than what I thought it would, but I thought we should have done better in comparison with last year. Well, I should probably start with the rehearsal this morning. Mr. E "stepped out of the room" so we could discuss some stuff amongst ourselves, and Michelle and Jeff and Tim brought up some really good points about how it's the seniors (the real seniors this time!) last concert and how they don't want to remember it sucking horribly. We rehearsed a few parts, then decided which movements of Courtly Dances we were doing. A quick few other things, then we "saved it for tonight". At 10 to 7, D quickly goes down to the cafeteria to order her bandishly musical class ring (it's the bandiest ring ever, I can't wait until I get it!!) then she warms up for like, an hour. Brian and Drew scold D for warming up so soon. D tries to hit them and fails. So anyways, I'm warming up and stuff, and then Greg walks in! So everyone is like, GREG! Come play with us!! And he's like...Haha...my trumpet's in my dorm. Then we talk about....BAND CAMP! Hehe. Finally, we warm up and we're ready to go on. Mr. E made an announcement that Ben was going to play a Chopin Shertzo (however you spell it) that he recorded for his college audition. It was so amazing...it was beyond belief. Now I know what Mr. E means when he tells me that people should be so ashtonished by my playing that they just don't have anything to say. It was hilarious though, before he went on, 10 or 12 of us were watching him from the alcove, and he was Ben was in the other one across from us, and he was dancing and doing these funny things and we had to try SO hard not to laugh! Likewise, it was great to see someone only a few years older than me play something that even MY piano teacher could do. So the concert overall went pretty well, the trumpets and horns had a few tuning discrepancies, as did the Eb clarinet which I had to sit in front of. It's like, get a tuner! But me and Lily played awsome Gs in tune!! Alright! And Lauren's solo in Be Thou My Vision was fantastic! And speaking of solos, the saxophones and the Eb clarinet did a super job...and Miano (I don't even know what his first name is) attempted and kind of played 2 of the solos that were previously the tenor sax's. That's almost a good thing, that he tried the solos and obviously worked hard to figure them out, but it is a bad thing that he decided to work hard on the a few days before the concert...especcially in WE. But on the brighter side, I did a STUPENDOUS job on my "beautiful piccolo solo". (LOL) I totally stomped Jamie flat! >;) And it was in tune, too! I think the best part of the entire concert was when Mr. Eicher shook Lauren's hand. It just made me think of all the good but very sad times last year...like Kleinhans and the Chamber Concert. ::sigh:: Well, I have to do a load of homework now!
11-05-00
AH!! It's the "year anniversary" today! And what is the "year anniversary" you ask? I can't exactly tell you, but it involves a current bandie and a former bandie...and a trombone...and a question which never got asked. If you really think about it hard, you can figure it out. Likewise, I want my mouthpiece back!
11-07-00
Election Day at the band room! This morning, the band room was like an open forum which got a little out of hand. First it started calmly at around 8:30, when someone turned on the TV to watch. Then people began to write candidates names on the black board. Then Katey lit Barb's spark by saying something about how she was a democrat and the next thing you know, Katey's covered in chalk dust and the whole room is yelling out "Bush!", "Gore!", "Lazio!", and "Hilary!" with the occasional "Nader!". I was afraid Lauren would kick me out of the flute section if I didn't agree that I was a republican. Somehow we settled down when Mr. E directed someone to turn off the TV. I wish that we'd get all excited and stuff like that over the band president...hmm...I can picture that, can't you? LOL. Anyways...we rehearsed Dance Movements...along with my little piccolo solo which was so beautiful that Mr. E made me and Kelly go into the sm. ensem. room and work on it. I was kind of embarrassed by it, actually, even though he wasn't fuming mad at me. It's not that I didn't know the part, it was just the fact that I had 1 second to warm up b/c Barb had to go to a voice lab...since she only had 3 of them! Heehee, I have 6! And I'm going to my 7th tomorrow! Ahh! 7! Well, back to the story...So me and Kelly play it about 3 times, then D figures out how to count a half note ::blush:: alright, I just wasn't thinking!! It still wasn't very good, b/c I didn't hold a note out long enough. I'll get it though, don't worry. I just need about an hour to warm up! =)
11-08-00
Darn! I knew (kneeeeeew!) I shouldn't have gone to that voice lab!!! It was the worst one in choral history! And since there is yet to be an online chorus journal, I'll have to complain about it here =). Ok, so I waltz into the room about 7 minutes late and make sure that Vehar marked me down..."Miss Danielle, 6th period, Wedensday, for 7". So as he goes through the chart to mark down other people, he stops and asks a bunch of questions to one girl, Alisha, who periodically stops by the machine as we fill it. So she told Mr. Vehar about 23948723 times where she sat and how she was singing 1st soprano. He kept on insisting that she was an alto, and after a few minutes of heated discussion, he concludes that the first four of us in the first row were altos. The 2 of us in the voice lab were just like, umm...ok whatever. We did not yet realize how boring the alto parts were to sing. Just when I was actually enjoying chorus, he switches my part to one that's as boring as hell. I'm not really caring, though, b/c I'm just gonna sing the soprano part anyways...it's not like the first sopranos sing loud or anything! And besides, I can't even barely sing below B...which is hard to believe if you know the pitch of my speaking voice. It's just so awkward now, and it doesn't feel right singing it. AND THEN! to make matters worse! He made ME SING in front of the WHOLE voice lab!! I almost peed my pants...he recorded it too...and then...::sniff:: he...he...PLAYED IT BACK AND MADE ME LISTEN TO IT!!! And he was squeezing my lats...or should I say, the lack thereof, and I was so nervous I sounded so bad on the tape... I KNEW I SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO THAT VOICE LAB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11-11-00
I forgot to write this in the above entries, but I think that some strange bandish disease is inhabiting me. Lately, I have been forgetting the combination of my band locker! (And I do a little dance out of frustration...right guys? LOL) I just get confused, b/c all 3 of my combination locks have numbers like 6 or 7; 15, 16, or 17; and 24, 27, or 37! And most times I screw all them up! But for my band locker combo...I just think - Band = R = 7...and that's the first number. And a new strain of the newly discovered virus dubbed "trumpet disease" has taken its toll on me too! There's this piccolo solo in Dance Movements (which I mentioned before) which I can't count a half note, and another solo in Kinetic Energy, where I had to have Mr. E sing it before I even remotely played it right! And the first flutes also had the "Morning Star" form of the disease. I swear, if those ::grumble grumble:: trumpets don't start preparing their music soon, I will grumble them so badly...GRR! Well, that's all I had to complain about today! =)
11-14-00
Hmm...I had something important to write aboot, and now I forgot!! ::thinks::....Oh right! Lessons today...I went into the blue room thinking...oh s***, i didn't practice at all! Then Mrs. M (the student teacher) comes in and I'm like phew! It's not Mr. E! So I play the etude sort of okey...and she's like, well, you have the rhythms and articulation, so you can just go on to the next one. Big sigh of relief in D's head. Then I did another double tounging thing and that was ok. And I got my major scales done. Just as I thought everything was going fine, when we looked at my piccolo solos, I realized that my picc was broken! =( The Bb key is leaking! So I tell her that's why I played so bad, and she took it to Mr. E. After awhile, they both come back into the room with my picc and say that they can't fix it. Then Mr. E seizes the opportunity to grumble at me about something, like usual. Now, most times it doesn't bother me, but I was kind of grumbled at this one. He's like, why don't you play louder when I tell you to? And I say, Well, it sounds so loud when I play, I think that I'm playing TOO loudly. And he's like, So, does this mean you don't take the conductor seriously? You don't trust my suggestions? And I'm like, no, it's just that I play so loud- "You don't know what the balance sounds like from up there!" Bad enough, Mrs. M was taking to his side...She made a few comments, and then I'm like, alright alright I'll play louder! I think making people mad is one of Mr. E's favorite pastimes. It's all for the better, though.
11-16-00
=) Today went pretty okey for the most part. Jazz Ensemble got off to a good start...Eleanor and Emily helped me stack chairs and move the piano so I actually had time to sit down after I finished! They are good slaves! ::grin:: Mr. E was also in a pretty good mood, for the most part. The soloists in "Catch as Catch Can" (who names these jazz songs, anyways?) are really starting to understand improvisation...well, I mean the freshmen soloist...I think everyone knows that Aaron's favorite and best part of trumpet playing is jazz solos! (because he doesn't have to worry aboot rhythms! Sorry, I couldn't help myself) So Mr. E was very happy aboot that. Then Dave W. does a gigantic solo...it was crazie...Mr. E's like, wow, your like animal back there...or something like that. We all laughed and clapped. I think Witzel was a little stunned for a moment (heehee). Then when we tried to pick up the tempo, Brad rushed like mad and we all laughed at him. So we all had a good time in Jazz today. Then in WE, my piccolo was in the shop so I got to play all the cool flute parts which I normally would not play. Mr. E was excited aboot the one song, Night Dances for WE. He's like, I wish I could have played that in middle school! And he said it like, 92385723 times. Well, my mom is gonna kill me if I don't get off!!
11-20-00
Today's journal entry really won't be about band. It will give you a break from all the highly musical stuff that I write...hehe. So everything @ school is fine...then it starts to snow...and by 8th period the cars are blanketed with aboot 3 and a half inches. So what you say? Well, by the time 3:30 rolled around and all the afterschool activities were cancelled, the snow came down so much and it was so windy, that none of the buses were there. So we are all waiting outside in the pretty snow, then Mr. Gentile (the principal) yells at us and tells us that some of the buses would not be here until 45 minutes later. So we all go inside and wait around, but we get bored. So we go into the band office to talk to Mrs. R (the band secretary) and Mr. E is there and he tells us a story aboot how he bombarded one of the teachers or people with snowballs in the parking lot. It was entertaining. So eventually, more people's buses come, but about 6 other buses weren't there! So they hurd (ahhh! HURD! LOL) us all into the gym to wait. We wait for a LOOOONG time! Meanwhile, some dumb guy slips and falls on the gym floor b/c of all the snow, and we all laugh. And also while we are waiting, Brad comes in the gym with aboot 2 inches of snow on his head, backpack and saxophone cases; and his jacket and pants were drenched. We're like, Brad! You're dumb! You must be freezing! So he talks awhile, then they pull out the bleachers for us to sit on...so now it's aboot 5 o clock and our dumb bus STILL isn't there! Then finally it comes, and as we are going home, when the bus is aboot 20 feet from my house, it slides on a turn and the whole back end of the bus practically is in a huge snowbank. So, because there was only 7 people on the bus, my neighbor invited them all to her house until their parents could pick them up. Meanwhile, I had to actually find my driveway and trudge through snow that was up to my knees! It was cold! So that's enough complaining for one entry! =)
11-21-00
SNOW DAY!!!!!!!!! And tomorrow too! I'm so happy! I went outside in the snow today and threw snowballs at my brother!! =) I love snow! And these snowdays are very good, b/c now I'll have time to practice!! But it will also be very very VERY bad b/c we won't have rehearsal time for Wind Ensemble, and our NYSSMA clinic is Tuesday!!! Poor Mr. E, he's probably at home now, worrying about it...=( I HOPE EVERYONE IS PRACTICING....ESPECIALLY THE TRUMPET PLAYERS!!!!!!!!!!! Well, as you've probably figured, I don't want to waste anymore valuable practice time! And I've started a new tradition...it's practicing for at least 4 hours a day on Thanksgiving week end! Last year, for NYSSMA, I wanted everything to be perfect, so I practiced and practiced and PRACTICED!! So now I shall always practice massively this week and next year and next year too, regardless that the people at NYSSMA won't want our horrible band back next year!! ::nervous laughter::
11-27-00
Oh dear...it was back to school for all Clarence students today. I was not looking foward to going back at all, b/c I knew that Mr. Eicher would NOT be a happy band director!! He wasn't too angry, but I could tell he was "not a happy man" with us. (LOL to everyone who remembered that quote from last year!) We rehearsed all the level 4 and 5 songs that we were playing. They went pretty much okey for me, but the other sections were pretty...hm. They were pretty not pretty. Then at the dress rehearsal that was tonight, I came in bright and early to warm up =) in the coat room, and then Mr. E came in. Then he started to leave, but then he came back. He said to me -I talked with Mrs. Schwartz (my lesson teacher) the other day... (I smile and nodd) -And I asked her how you were doing...(smile disapears) -And she said that you weren't doing very well the last lesson. (glum frown) -It kind of makes you and me look bad when I want to suggest her as a teacher and have you do bad. (sorry) -Because I know that you are a good player...and that you have the potential to become a great player ::starts to smile::...And you just need to work to get there...(I know, i know) -Ok? ::Eicher smile:: (ok.) -::wink:: And then he left. I guess I should really start making time to practice, even if it means I have to lower my standards a bit in school work. Mrs. Schwarz says that if you want to be a good musician you have to make sacrifices.
11-28-00
Oh boy. Where do I begin. Lets, see, this morning sounds like a logical place. I went in early b/c I wasn't sure if we have jazz or not, so I just sat with Melissa and Jeff and talked. Then Vitello came by and overheard me telling Melissa that I was worried I'd screw up my piccolo solos and sound really bad. And V's like, those aren't solos, now, if you get up and play Chaminade in front of a whole audience, now THAT'S a solo. But I was still worred. Mrs. Mageroni was trying to be very optimistic, but I was still a bit nervous. Then after we helped put all the green sheets in the program, it was time to take a stand out to the truck and get on the bus. The bus ride was pretty lame...I ended up sitting with Rebekah, and she really didn't feel like talking to me, so I just fell asleep for awhile. When we got there, we had no clue where we were going, and symphonic band had to play in 15 minutes. So a few of us took stands and went up the escalator, then realized we were in the wrong place and went back down, stands and all. Then we had to put the stands on the bus (!) and then there were no seats. When we finally made it inside, we had to take all the percussion stuff inside (the long metal bar! whatever it is! LOL) and by the time we were all ready, the clinic was already started. So we got off to a late start. Half way though symphonic's songs, Tino made a guest appearence and was watching the performance. When the WE was going on, everyone had realized that 2 of the trumpet players were not there...mainly because Mr. E had said "i don't care if you'll be at the clinic or not" in an angry rage, and I figured that Pritchard would take him seriously. I swear that kid will do anything to make Mr. E mad! So we had a trumpet guy from eastman fill in for him...but he was sightreading EVERYTHING. So, obviously he screwed up this one part which was kinda like a solo, and Mr. E had to stop the band and tell the audience that the original trumpet section had had some "diciplinary problems" and didn't come. Which made our band look SOOOOO mature. Then while everyone was Ooohing and Aahhhing at this wonderful trumpet player WHO COULD ACTUALLY SIGHT READ (i know...scarey) the rest of the band was like, crying. The people also gave us funny looks when Erin played the Euphonium part in Tuscan Serenade, which they could not learn. It was a good thing though, when the NYSSMA guy came up and told Mr. E that there was not enough time, and he could only do 3 more songs. Everyone sighed for relief that we wouldn't have to do Shakata. Afterwards, everyone was like, oh, you're so great and all these other lies. And Mrs. Runfola told me - "beautiful piccolo solo" and I was ready to kill her...even though she didn't realize that Mr. E uses that phrase when being sarcastic when I can't play it. After we got changed, we all had to help load the percussion stuff back on the bus. ::sigh:: When we finally got to the restaurant, everyone was famished. And there weren't enough stools for us to sit on! And also, the place we were in was like, very sexual...the cages...hmm. The chips were pretty cool though, because they were colored! Hehe. We also had live entertainment....Joel Sullivan was pole dancing, and he was photographed in the process. After we ate, Mr. E gave us these little arcade cards and it was very strange...but fun. Then we all got back on the bus for the looong ride home. Some bandies were extremely tired, and this opened up opportunities for people to play tricks on them. Now, as a freshman, I was totally quiet and stuff b/c nobody really talked to me. The upperclassmen were nice, but I still always felt so low b/c i was a freshie. Which is why now, I try to umm...treat freshmen equally as I would upperclassmen. But some people just can't leave others alone. It was funny the first time Barb was yelling Giggles behind Brad's head, but after the 293847293847234th time and the notes with "Giggles" written on them being placed on his head, it was getting obnoxious. Then, the other harp player, John D, fell asleep right in the seat infront of me. Then Kristen (aka Sammy) wanted me to flick his ear. Which I wouldn't do, so Barb of course did. He didn't wake up right away, so we threw something, I forgot what it was, and I guess he woke up. Then after, when Barb didn't know he was still awake, she put a sticky note on his head. The other alto saxophonist, I forget his name, but he's just like, you know, he's awake. I hope Barb felt dumb. Then Brad fell asleep with his mouth wide open. Someone wanted to put a piece of chewed gum in his ear, but I thought that was too mean. So instead, Barb took one of her thin mint cookies and put it in his mouth! I don't really know what his reaction was, but I bet he either spat it our or ate it! LOL. Finally, we got to the HS just in time to watch the buses leave, so we all had to make phone calls from Mr. E's office. (The phone that was actually in the band room isn't there anymore, probably because everyone used it to make prank phone calls!)
11-29-00
Today, I "camped out" at the band room! I had to stay after for the meeting about the musical (I'm actually trying out this year.....!!) and I figured it would be dumb to just go home for a few hours when I could stay and practice until the Jazz dress rehearsal at 7. =) So I passed away the majority of the time with Barb. We hung out in Mr. E's and Mr. V's office b/c Stroth kicked us out of the small ensemble room. I guess he was teaching a lesson or something. So, after looking through some scores we found on Mr. E's desk, we wondered what Mr. V had in his desk drawers. Figuring V wouldn't mind (we wouldn't dare open Eicher's), we discovered: a blue kazoo, a squishy rubber ball type thing, a variety of pictures of bandies or umm...sporties...for a lack of a better word. The most interesting thing we found were a toy bulldozer, cement truck and a dump truck. We played with them for awhile until Stroth started heading in our direction. Then we had to get out of the office b/c he was leaving. So after he had gone and it was safe, we journeyed into the percussion studio to bang on the pretty drums. =) Then we realized that the cello bows that the percussionists use to make that kool effect on the vibraphone were left out! So we rush over and umm...bow the vibraphone. It was really fun. Then we blasted music from the listening room, then I realized I had to set up the room for Jazz. So Barb had to leave, and I didn't even get any homework or anything done! Oh well. After I had set up, I practiced for about 10 minutes, then Brad came in, and quickly discovered the bows and the vibraphone. He also ventured into the percussion studio, but he got yelled at! Then Brian and umm...Goodman's brother came in (I can't remember his name right now) along with "Kirby" (who I gave a tour to at the freshman orientation). They attacked my piano and discovered there was a nickel in the piano! They also discovered making the weird noise with the strings that sounds like a rhino...LOL. Brad also did something mischeivious out of desparation, but I'm not at liberty to what. Later, I was thankful that Pritchard actually showed up. It seemed like we practiced forever! But I had my little piano children to keep me entertained! =) I figured out that if you hold down the strings with your hand, those notes don't play! =) When it finally ended, I was extremely tired and I hadn't done any of my homework! Ahh! I guess being a devout bandie has it's consequences...
11-30-00
When I was taking out the candy to fill the machine today, I spotted V drinking some honey colored liquid out of a mug. V drinking in school? Yeah, he'd do something like that. Hey, that reminds me of a story Miss Braun told me in health class. Her, Mr. V and Furminger were all in a car coming back from some drinking thingy, and since they had needed a ride, V didn't drink at all. So as they were driving they came to this spot where they had to check if you were drunk or not. And Mr. V's like, I'm not drunk. And the cop or whoever it was still thought he was!! So Miss Braun and Furmie were laughing, and that made him think he WAS drunk, so he gave poor Vitello the breahalizer and made him walk a line and stuff like that, and of course, he wasn't drunk. I just think that's pretty amusing. Also, today was the Concert band and Jazz Ensemble's concert! I had to hand out programs! It's so fun! And I now have a ticket collection, right Emily? LOL...the blue ones! And it's not red, it's "cherry!" ha..anyways, I watched part of the band's part of the concert, and it was good, the solo section of Dragoon's Farewell brought back many memories of when people actually thought I was a good musician! Waay back in middle school (we played that piece in 8th grade)...I didn't have the solo, but I enviously wanted it!! Then we performed, and the soloists played well, although I think they played more awesomer solos in the band room. But good job overall! Then Dave W. was sick or something, and Witzel didn't really know his songs that well, so on some he screwed up the rhythms...and the drum solo was pretty...well honestly it was boring and I thought it was stupid. But I played my little solos...the octave Gs...haha, some solo. Well, that's all!
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